My Personal Relationship With the Savior

 The English language is imprecise and it can be hard to say what we mean. So we use stories and metaphors, allegories and parables to try to help others understand what we understand, to feel what we feel. So when I was asked to speak in church on my personal relationship with the Savior, I began to organize my thoughts in the only way I know how: in stories and poems. I want to share some of them with you.

Imagine with me that you are on a high mountain top. It's night, and the darkness is complete. You wait, hoping with a desperate hope that dawn will come. It has always come, you think. It must come. 

Then a little voice in the back of your head says "Dawn? What dawn? There is no day, only night. The world is black and the universe is made of hate and pain."

And you listen to the voice. The world is dark. There is no light. You hold to hope anyway, waiting for dawn that will never come.

But slowly, imperceptibly, the sky begins to lighten. And the world is a little less dark, and a little less cold. And you notice and rejoice.

And that voice comes back, and says “Light? There is no light. There is no dawn. The world is dark and the universe is full of anger and malice.”

And you listen to the voice. The world is dark. There is no light.  But you hold to hope anyway.

And slowly, imperceptibly, the sky continues to lighten. The world is a little less dark and a little less lonely. You notice and rejoice.

But that voice comes back and says light? There is no light. The world is dark and the universe is full of ignorance and death.

And you listen to the voice. The world is dark, and there is no day. But you hold to hope anyway, waiting for a dawn you are sure will never come.

And slowly, imperceptibly, the sky turns a pale blue, and the clouds glow pink, and you notice and rejoice at the light.

And that voice comes back, and says “Light? There is no light. There is no dawn. The world is dark and the universe is full of hate and despair.”

But this time, you know the voice is wrong. There is light. You can see it. You cannot deny it.  And in a glorious moment, looking east you see the most wondrous sight. A tiny drop of liquid gold. The sun has arrived, and the darkness must flee. There is light. There is hope. There is love. There is day. 

My testimony began on the backs of others'. My parents and teachers always said that Jesus was my Savior, and I believed that they weren’t lying to me. As I grew older, I heard stories of prophets and pioneers, saints who believed in Jesus Christ and who died for their conviction. I thought “If they would die for their belief, they must have really believed that it was true. Nobody would die for something they didn’t truly, deeply believe and know.” For a long time, the faith of others was enough to hold me afloat. 

Until suddenly, it wasn’t. And I had a moment like Peter’s: And beginning to sink, [Peter] cried, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him. 

I was rescued from drowning in sorrow and pain, but one miraculous moment does not make a testimony. One life-changing interaction does not make a relationship. Over time, through joy and pain, trials and triumphs, prayer and pouring my soul to God, my own faith and conviction grew. My relationship with my Savior became more than a desperate cry for help moments before I drowned. It became one of constancy and remembrance. This is an ongoing process, and sometimes I fail. Sometimes I forget. Sometimes I look to other sources for peace and comfort. But when I remember and turn back to Him, I always find Him standing right there beside me. He drives the darkness away and makes everything right. He always has and He always will.

In John chapter 6, Jesus said something that offended many disciples, and they left Him.  Jesus turned to the Apostles, and asked if they would also leave.  I imagine he said this with a certain amount of sadness.  Peter, with a young but strong testimony and a love for the Savior answered, "To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God". 

Who is this Hero who heals the sick?

Who is this Hero who feeds thousands?

Who is this Hero who calms the sea?

Who is this Hero who raises the dead?

Who is this Hero who died and came back to life?

Who is this Hero whose story continues and does not end?

He is Jesus Christ. 

He is Jehovah, Messiah, Savior and King.

He is the Son of God.

He is my elder Brother.

He is my forever Friend.

He is my Rock.

He is Jesus Christ.

He is my Hero.

He is the knight that saves the villagers from marauders; He is the nobleman who saves a streetboy from a beating; He is the camper who throws a line to a drowning swimmer and cries “grab hold!” He is Gandalf on the bridge who gave his life to defeat the darkness and returned in splendor and glory. He stands between us and the debts we cannot pay and pays them for us. 

He is Jesus Christ. 

He is Jehovah, Messiah, Savior and King.

He is the Son of God.

He is my elder Brother.

He is my forever Friend.

He is my Rock.

He is my Savior.

He is my Hero.

I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ. Amen.